Combination face veneer assembler



Sept. 20, 1966 s. T` EFIRD 274,044

COMBINATION FACE VENEER ASSEMBLER Filed Jan. 2, 1965 2 SheetsSheet 1 1/ MGR .I lll M n Q Rm 2, w E d E N. S HI..

N 1.7M NF sept. zo, 1966 s. T. EFIRD 3,274,044

COMBINATION FACE VENEER ASSEMBLER Filed Jan. 2, 1965 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 F/G. Z

7 /5 /6 50 mgl N Z3 Il) i I6 32 TI 5' Ill I N VE NTOR. ima/Na /T EF/e United States Patent O 3,274,044 COMBINATION FACE VENEER ASSEMBLER Starling Trimen Elird, 1604 Lakewood Drive, High Point, N C. Filed `lan. 2, 1963, Ser. No. 249,048 6 Claims. (Cl. 156-556) This invention relates to a combination face veneer assembler and has as its primary object the provision of an improved apparatus for gluing the edges of veneer sheets, strips, or pieces together under conditions of applying heat and pressure.

An additional object of the invention is the provision of an assembler of this character which will glue the edges of such veneer sheets at a variety of angles, regardless of the angle of assembly or cut of a piece.

Still another object of the invention is the provision of an apparatus of this character which will ensure an even, tight, and secure joint and which will glue such edges much more expeditiously than hitherto practiced manual methods, customarily used in all operations involving veneer gluing at angles of other than 90.

A still further object of the invention is the provision of a device of this character which is sturdy and durable in construction, reliable and ecient and fast in operation, and which is relatively simple and inexpensive to manufacture and utilize.

Still other objects reside in the combinations of elements, arrangements of parts, and features of construction, all as will be more fully pointed out hereinafter and disclosed in the accompanying drawings wherein:

FIGURE 1 is a side elevational view of one form of combination face veneer assembler constructed in accordance with the instant invention;

FIGURE 2 is an enlarged vertical sectional View taken substantially along the line 2--2 of FIGURE 1 as viewed in the direction indicated by the arrows;

FIGURE 3 is a sectional view taken substantially along the line 3-3 of FIGURE 1 as viewed in the direction indicated by the arrows; and

FIGURE 4 is an enlarged sectional View partially broken away taken substantially along the line 4-4 of FIGURE 1 as viewed in the direction indicated by the arrows.

Similar reference characters refer to similar parts throughout the several views of the drawings.

Having reference now to the drawings in detail, one form of combination face veneer assembler constructed in accordance with the instant inventive concept is generally indicated at and includes a main stationary frame of channel bar configuration generally indicated at 11 and comprising an upper horizontal web 12, a vertical web 13, and a lower horizontal web 14. Base or channel bar 11 may be supported in any desired conventional manner, and includes an elongated slot 15 extending through vertical web 13, through which projects an operating rod 16, which may be actuated hydraulically or in any other desired conventional manner and forms the main operating component of the machine. Rod 16 is fixedly secured to a horizontally movable shuttle bar, generally indicated at 17, which rides in the channel formed by upper and lower horizontal webs 12 and 14 adjacent vertical web 13.

Shuttle bar 17 is provided with a pair of cam surfaces, each of which includes an upper horizontal portion 18, a first inclined portion 19, a second horizontal portion 20, a second inclined portion 21, and a third horizontal portion 22. The two cam surfaces engage the rounded top portions 23 of a pair of vertically movable press stakes or posts 24 which extend slidably through bores 25 in lower horizontal web 14, the vertical movement thereof 3,274,644 Patented Sept. 20, 1956 ICC being obviously controlled by linear movement of shuttle bar 17 and its associated cam surfaces, for a purpose to be more fully described hereinafter.

A connecting sheet or plate 30 extends through a slot 31 in horizontal lower web 14, into an elongated opening 32 and the underside of shutter bar 17, the slot 31 being of materially greater extent than the opening or slot 32, and the arrangement being such that movement in a linear direction is imparted to connect the plate 30 by movement of shuttle bar 1'7 in a horizontal direction toward the left as viewed in FIGURE l, but only after a certain previous movement has been effectuated, for a purpose to be more fully described hereinafter.

At its lower extremity, connecting plate 30 is fixed as by bolts or rivets 34 to a shuttle strip 35, which is linearly movable in a channel or slot 36 in the top of a heating bar element 37. A housing strip 38 is secured as by means of screws 39 to the top of heating bar element 37 and is provided with threaded bores into which the lower threaded ends 25a of press stakes 25 are ixedly secured. An open channel 40 in heating bar element 37 extends longitudinally the full length thereof and accommodates a calrod heat strip or other desired heating element. The side walls of heating bar element 37 taper inwardly as at 41, and terminate in a lower flat surface 42, the purpose of which will be more fully described hereinafter.

As best shown in FIGURE 1, the opposite ends of lower horizontal web 47 extend beyond the extremities of vertical web 13 and upper horizontal web 12, and are provided with bores 43 through which extend guide rods 44.-, the lower extremities of which are threadably engaged in suitable bores in the opposite ends of housing strip 38. Springs 45 abut the upper surface of the ends of web 14 and are secured in position by means of pins 46 extending through the tops of guide rods 44 and serve normally to bias housing strip 38 and its associated heating bar element 37 upwardly, when not forced downwardly by the press stakes 24.

Alternate oppositely extending connecting arms 50 extend transversely across the top of heating bar element 37 and are linearly transversely movable in channels 51, the connecting bars being positioned beneath shuttle strip 35. Each connecting bar is provided with an upwardly extending lug or pin 52 which engages in a cam slot 53 formed in shuttle strip 35, the slot being inclined toward the center of the strip, so that linear movement of shuttle strip 35 in a direction to the left as viewed in FIGURE 3, causes bars 50 and the mechanism associated therewith to be described hereinafter to move inwardly toward the center of heating bar element 37.

The ends of all of the connecting bars 50 on each side of heating bar element 37 are connected to a common retainer bar 55, the retainer bars being inclined oppositely inwardly toward the center of heating bar element 37, and each being provided with a plurality of spaced threaded bores 56 in which are positioned externally threaded studs 57 having knurled heads 58. Each stud 57 has an internal bore 59 containing 'a compression spring 60, which serves to bias a finger 61 outwardly and downwardly of the stud. Each finger 61 threadedly engages in a threaded socket in an end cap 62 which is provided with a rubber tip or extremity 63, the latter having an inclined surface 64 which is engageable with the surface of one of two opposed pieces of veneer V which are to be joined along a line J, and glued or otherwise adhesively secured together.

A pressure bar 69 is positioned on top of shuttle bar 17 for the purpose of applying downward pressure thereto, such pressure being effectuated by means tof compression spring 70 held in bores 71 and top horizontal web 12 by means of screws 72. The spring pressure is exerted on the tops of pin 73 which extend into the bores '70 and are threadedly engaged in threaded opening 74 in pressure bar 69.

From the foregoing the use and operation of the device should now be readily understandable. A pair of sheets or pieces of veneer V to be joined are positioned on work table T, and glue is applied along the joint line J. Actuation of operating member rod in any desired manner moves the same linearly along slot 15 and simultaneously moves shuttle bar 17 to the left `as viewed in FIGURE 1. Inclined cam surface 19 forces press stakes 24 and hence heating bar element 37 downwardly, the element having been preheated by means of a calrod heat strip to a position approximately an eighth of an inch from the work table or just above the veneer strip, which serves to preheat the glue. During this movement the connecting plate 30 is not moved, since it travels in the slot 32, Continued movement of the shuttle bar 17 with the surface 2t) riding along the tops of press stakes 23 continues for a desired interval until inclined surface 21 is reached, and the rear wall of slot 32 engages the upper portion of connecting plate 30. At this time lower heating element 37 is moved downwardly to approximately 1/28 of an inch from the work table or into close juxtaposition with the joint I. Simultaneously, shuttle strip 35 is moved by connecting plate 30 and the camming action of slots 53 on pins 52 causes the connecting bars or arms 50 to move inwardly. The spring loaded rubber tipped fingers 61 pressing tightly against the surface of the veneer V serve at the same time to press the opposed sheets of veneer tightly together until the heat and pressure gluing has been completed. Upon reverse movement of shuttle bar 17, obviously, shuttle strip 35 moves rearwardly and the cam slots 53 move the spring loaded rubber tipped fingers 61 outwardly, without the exertion of any pressure thereon, the inclined surfaces 64 sliding over the surface of the veneer V, .and the springs 45 serve to return the heating bar element 37 and its associated mechanism to its uppermost position ready for recycling.

From the foregoing it will now be seen that there is herein provided an improved combination face veneer assembler which accomplishes all of the objects of this invention, and others, including many advantages of great practical utility and commercial importance.

As many embodiments may be made of this inventive concept, and as many modifications may be made in the embodiment hereinbefore shown and described, it is to be understood that all matter herein is to be interpreted merely as illustrative, and not in a limiting sense.

I claim:

1. A combination face veneer assembler comprising a support, an elongated heating element mounted for vertical movement thereunder, transverse connecting rods slidably mounted on said heating element, rubber tipped spring biased clamping fingers carried by said arms, first cam means for lowering said heating element towards veneer pieces to be assembled, second cam means for simultaneously movin-g said transverse rods and hence said clamping fingers inwardly toward the center of said heating element to bias the veneer pieces together, land means for actuating said rst and second cam means.

2. The .structure of claim 1 wherein said support cornprises a channel-shaped member and said first cam means comprises an elongated shuttle bar having a pair of cam surfaces on its underside and press stakes carried by said heating element are engaged by said cam surfaces.

3. The structure of claim 2 wherein guide rods extend between said support and said heating element, Iand spring means carried by said guide rods bias said heating element and its associated press stakes towards said cam surfaces.

4. The structure of claim 3 wherein said heating element is provided with a longitudinally extending channel, and said second cam means includes a shuttle strip movable in said channel, cam .slots in said strip, and lugs carried transverse connecting rods movable in said cam slots.

5. The structure lof claim 4 wherein a connecting plate is secured to said shuttle strip, said shuttle bar is provided with a slot in its underside, and the other end of said connecting plate seats in said slot, whereby said plate is moved after a predetermined movement of said shuttle bar to move said shuttle strip.

6. The structure of claim 5 wherein said cam surfaces of said rst cam means include rst horizontal portions, rst downwardly inclined portions, second horizontal portions, second downwardly inclined portions and third horizontal portions, whereby said heating element is moved downwardly in two stages.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,977,660 10/1934 Welch 144-281 EARL M. BERGERT, Primary Examiner.

M. L. KATZ, Assistant Examiner. 

1. A COMBINATION FACE VENEER ASSEMBLER COMPRISING A SUPPORT, AN ELONGATTED HEATING ELEMENT MOUNTED FOR VERTICAL MOVEMENT THEREUNDER, TRANSVERSE CONNECTING RODS SLIDABLY MOUNTED ON SAID HEATING ELEMENT, RUBBER TIPPED SPRING BIASED CLAMPING FINGERS CARRIED BY SAID ARMS, FIRST CAM MEANS FOR LOWERING SAID HEATING ELEMENT TOWARDS VENEER PIECES TO BE ASSEMBLED, SECOND CAM MEANS FOR SIMULTANEOUSLY MOVING SAID TRANSVERSE RODS AND HENCE SAID CLAMPING FINGERS INWARDLY TOWARD THE CENTER OF SAID HEATING ELEMENT TO BIAS THE VENEER PIECES TOGETHER, AND MEANS FOR ACTUATING SAID FIRST AND SECOND CAM MEANS. 